Axle with wheel-type planetary drive



March 6, 1951 v. L sNow l1:1- AL Axu; WITH WHEEL-TYPE PLANE'IARY DRIVE 2Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1946 m w n a E o M f. n .R .n n L .wa

,PatentedMan 6, 1951 AXLE WITH WHEEL- n poration of Ohio ApplicationFebruary 1, 1946, Serial No. 644,936

i claim. (o1. 74-801) This invention relates to improvements in awheel-type planetary drive.

An object of the present invention is to provide a planetary drivehoused in a vehicle wheel wherein radial bearings are omitted in theplanetary structure, while proper provision is made for absorbingvend-thrust so that the planetary operates on the iioating gearprinciple.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novelarrangement of a planetary drive in a wheel housing wherein means isprovided for preventing a relatively free-flowing axle lubricant fromworking through the wheel housing and into the brake structure.

Still another object of the present invention TYPE PLAN ETARY IVE -virgin.. snow, Beverly mus Drive, and walter F.

Double, Wickliffe, Ohio, assignors to The Euclid Road Machinery Co.,Euclid, Ohio,4 a. coris to provide a wheel-type planetary drive of asimple but very strong structure so that long life is assured with theproper positioning of the parts in their Idriving relationship. y

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent4from the accompanying drawings and descriptionv and the essentialfeatures thereof Will be set forth -in the appended claim.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a central sectionabview showing a drive shaft, an axle, awheel drum, and ourV improved planetary drive.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l and brokenaway in part to more clearly show the construction.

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view through the internal ring gear shownin Figs. 1 and 2, while Fig. 4 is an end elevational view showing thelower end of the hub portion of Fig. 3.

Referring first to the general structure of Fig. 1 as showing thebackground of the invention, an axle housing l of an automotive vehicleor the like is connected by suitable bolt connections tothe hollow Wheelaxle I I. Rotatably mounted on this axle by means of vsuitable taperedroller bearings' I2 is the wheel drum I3 on which are mounted the rims|4 and I5 for the reception of suitable tires. Bolted to the wheel drumis the brake drum I6 which cooperates with-an internal-'brake shoe |1operated by the usual type of mechanism a part of which is indicated.This brake mechanismis protected against oil and grease working backfrom the wheel end of the assembly by several means. One seal corn-l iprises the fiexible sealing strips I8 resiliently held spring 2|.

mediate lower portions 3|b provided with bolt- The outer end of thehousing provides a hol` low chamber 22 vwhich is closedfat itsinnercentralportion by thefhub of the ring gearl presently to bedescbed.-0utwardly therefrom thefrusto-conical wal1s'23 join with thegenerally cylindrical wall 24 to form a grease-tight housing. The hollowchamber 22 is closedat its laterally outward end by means of the coverplate 25 secured to the wall portion 24 by thestuds 26.

The drive means comprises the usual floating drive shaft 21 which isprovidedv 'with suitable bearings,` not shown, laterally vtoward theright as viewed in Fig. 1 but the outer end of theshaft shown at theleft of Fig. 1 is free to move 'radially because of the clearancebetween shaft 21 and hub 38. Splined to this shaft is a sun gear 28 heldin, place by the snap ring 29. Three planet gears 30 arerotatably'mounted 120 degrees apart on av carrier plate 3|. This carrierplate has three raised portions 3|a adapted to span the thickness of agear 30, and three interholes 3Ic to receive bolts 32 which hold thecarrier plate rigidly to the cover plate 25. Each planet gear 30 iscarried by a short shaft 33 which is keyed to the carrier plate 3| by akey 34. Thus, the shaft 33 is stationary and each gear 30 rotates on itsassociated shaft and is provided and a hub 38 integral with the spider.This ring Y gear construction is clearly shown in Figs. 3 andA 4 wherethe parts just mentioned are shown separately. Splines 38a on the hubengage coacting splines on the interior wall of axlev The outer end ofthe hub portion 38 is held` spacedA from the pinion 28 by means of aspacing col. lar 39. Y The end-thrust of the drive axle 21 is resistedby the hardened button 40 in the outer end of shaft 21 abutting asimilar hardened button 4| carried by hub cap 42 which is secured bybolts 43 to the cover plate 25.

It is obvious from the above construction thatl the outer end of shaft21 floats in the planetary system and the entire assembly of planetarygearing and shaft 21 is held centered by the iing gear construction 36,31, 38 which holds everything concentric with the axle sleeve portionII. I

, it. The ring gear 36 may then be removed, if

desired, by simply pulling the same laterally outwardly in a directionto disengage the splines 28a.

It will be noted that the taper bearing I2 at the left-hand, as viewedin Fig. 1, is held in place by nuts 44 and 46 and lock washer 46. Thespace between the taper bearings represented largely by the annularchamber 41 is packed with a highly viscous lubricant such as a heavygrease. This isv held against outward movement bythe seal 20 and is heldagainst inward movement by the seal I8. The chamber 22 in which theplanetary system is housed and the interior of the axle portion Il isfilled with a readilyv owable lubricant such asis usually used forlubricating gears. This readily ilowable lubricant is very harmful if itgets on the braking system of the vehicle. By the above construction wehave interposed the chamber 41 of diftlcultly fiowable lubricant sealedatboth ends by the seals I8 and 20, and this prevents the readilyflowable lubricant in chamber 22 reaching the brakes I1.

What we claim is:

In a wheel-type planetary drive having a hollow wheel axle, having awheel drum rotatably mounted on said axle, having a drive shaftpasshousingl connected with said drum. said housing having an opening atits outer side, having a planetary gear system insaid housing, saidsysing through the hollow of said axle, having a tem comprising a sungear rotatable with said shaft and planet gears meshing with said sungear and a stationary internally toothed ring gear meshing with saidplanet gears, and having a cover plate for said opening secured to saidhousing, said drive shaft being free of engagement with said coverplate, the improvementv comprising a spider and annular hub integralwith said ring gear, said hub positioned between said shaft and saidhollow axle and having a non-rotatable connection with the inner surfaceof said hollow axle, there being clearance be,

tween said shaft and hub to permit floating of said shaft radially, astub shaft for each of saidy planet gears, each stub shaft having oneend mounted in said cover plate, a carrier plate rigidly secured tosaidcover plate and each stub shaft having its vother end mounted in saidcarrierplate.

VIRGIL L. SNOW.

WALTER F., DOUBLE.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent: l

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,380,547 Farmer June 7, 19211,442,795 Cook Jan. 23, 1923 1,464,887 Starr Aug. 14, 1923 1,467,939Knap Sept. 11, 1923 1,783,780 Evans Dec. 2, 1930 1,842,217 Tracey Jan.19, 1932 2,135,477 Griswold Nov. 1, 1938 2,337,884 Haefeli Dec. 28, 19432,386,917 Thornton Oct. 16, 1945 2,403,579r Carpenter July 9, 19462,408,336 Orr Sept. 24, 1946 2,424,578 `4 Mortog July 29, 1947

